The Warmth
by Fu Fu's the name
Summary: Inuyasha contemplates his options, after the final battle, and Kagome's departure. ONESHOT!


**The Warmth - Fu Fu**

**Disclaimer: I :chough: Do :cough: don't own Inuyasha. (Swarm of angry lawers surround me) What?**

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Inuyasha sat under the Goshinboku, as he thought about everything that had happened that day.

_'I have to leave Inuyasha! There's nothing for me here, and there never was! that's finally clear to me now!' Kagome screamed back at him, right before she jumped through the well. Warning him not to come after her.'_

Inuyasha looked down at the completed Shikon Jewel in his hand. It hadn't been easy, the finale battle against Naraku. Nor had anything else. It had all spiraled out of control the second the jewel was completed.

You see, Kikyou had been present for the finale battle. And had asked Inuyasha to follow her to hell. Inuyasha had instantly told her he would, that he just needed time to say goodbye first.

That was when Kagome had declared her time here was over. She claimed there was no reason for her to stay, and that she belonged in her time. Not here. Keh, pathetic.

She could have stayed if she wanted to. She was just being a baby.

And yet……., he squeezed the jewel in his hand, why had the second she had fallen out of his site, had it felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest? He knew this day was coming, he knew she would leave as soon as the fighting was done.

Then why was it so hard to except? The others had, well, not Shippou. But he was a little kid. Surely Inuyasha could get over it. It wasn't like he loved her or anything.

Or did he? Why was his mind all of a sudden swarming with uncertainties? Why did even the memory of her smile send warmth spreading straight down to his toes?

He leaned his head back against the trunk of the giant tree, and closed his eyes. Nothing was simple with that girl! If he was supposed to be going to hell with Kikyou, then why was he sitting here, thinking about the girl from the future? The one that he could never seem to get off his mind?

It came to be lately, that Kikyou was being compared to Kagome more then the other way around. Kagome was the warmth, while Kikyou was the cold, Kagome the cheerful, Kikyou the calm and menacing. Kagome the living, Kikyou the dead.

Why was this choice so hard? To any outsider, they would say choose Kagome, but to him, he felt bound to Kikyou, he owed her. He feel into a trap, he allowed her to be injured and killed. Everything horrible that had happened in her life, had been because of him.

But..., Inuyasha looked to his side, a handkerchief was sitting on the ground next to him. Hers of course, and he breathed in her scent. What happened with Kikyou was so long ago, and Inuyasha had hurt Kagome so much, and, in all honesty, he felt stronger about her then he ever had anyone before.

He pulled the piece of cloth into his left hand slowly. And compared it to the object in his right.

For the better part of his life he'd wanted to become full Youkai. And this was the one thing that could do that for him. and yet, if he did, he lost her, the light of his life. The women he loved. He had to give up two things that he wanted desperately, for one thing, that he needed.

He smirked, as he stood up, stuffed both the jewel, and the handkerchief in his haori, and sped off towards the well. _'And it's more then worth it.' _

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Kagome sighed into her pillow. He had choose Kikyou. It was all over now, and she'd never see any of them again.

It's not like she really expected it to turn out different. She was second rate compared to her. She was his first love, she was perfect, she was _Kikyou,_ nothing would change that.

Kagome felt a tear slid down her cheek. NO! She wouldn't do this to herself! She thought, as she violently wiped it away. She wouldn't spare another tear for that guy. Not one!

"Kagome!" Her mother called from downstairs. "There's someone here to see you!"

"Coming!" She called back, as she sat up, and hurried downstairs, to see Houjo standing on there front porch. "Houjo-kun, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "I came hoping to see if you wanted to go see a movie with me." he said.

Kagome thought about it for a second, why should she sit around here moping all day for Inuyasha? He wasn't gonna do the same for her. She'd been home for a few hours already, that was long enough.

She may have been in denial, when she grabbed her coat and hurried out the door, but she was thrown right back in her place, when one second she was standing next to Houjo, the next, there was a flash of red, and a certain hanyou's lips where on hers.

She barely had time to register what was going on, before he was gone, thrown backwards by Houjo, who had only done so, because Inuyasha was….. preoccupied.

But it didn't take Inuyasha long to start growling at the pour un-suspecting boy. But he didn't back down.

"Who do you think you are? Just running up, and abusing Higurashi-san like that?" Houjo demanded. Inuyasha growled again.

"Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? I wasn't abusing her ass-hole! I'd never hurt Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Not liking this guy immediately. What the hell was he doing with Kagome?

"Inuyasha, please, don't!" Kagome warned. "He's a friend."

"Kagome, you know this man?" Houjo asked in surprise.

Kagome smiled at him. "Yes Houjo, this is Inuyasha. Don't be mad at him," Her eyes flickered to lock with the shocked hanyou's "I didn't mind."

Houjo first looked shocked, then hurt. staring at the two gazing into each others eyes lovingly. "So, Higurashi, we weren't... you didn't?... Not me huh?" He said sadly. Kagome turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry Houjo, I didn't mean to lead you on if I did, it wasn't my intention. Under different circumstances, I'm sure things could have been different." She said sadly.

"Really?" He asked hopefully, the spark returning to his eye.

Kagome saw this, and quickly put a stop to it. "But they aren't. And I'm sorry about that. I guess I'll see you around Houjo." She said, smiling brightly at him, as he sadly walked over to the shrine steps, and started descending them.

Kagome turned back to the silent hanyou, only to have him kissing her again. But this time, she got a chance to react, and kissed him back. He seemed to have taken her, 'I didn't mind' As a, 'Do it again!' She wasn't complaining! But it was a little surprising.

Suddenly, something floated to the forefront of her mind, and she quickly pushed Inuyasha back. "Inuyasha, " She whispered. "What about... about _her_?" She whispered in his ear, hoping beyond hope, that this was as good as she thought it was.

He just shook his head, and leaned it on her shoulder. Before whispering in her ear. "She's not you Kagome, she's the cold, I choose the warmth. I choose you."

**

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Just a little One-shot I cooked up. There just so much fun to write, I thought, what the heck! but all of you fans of Nightmare, I'll be back! Never fear!**


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